The Finishing School: Earning the Navy SEAL Trident

In America's new war, the first guns in the fight are special operations forces, including the Navy SEALs, specially trained warriors who operate with precision, swiftness, and lethal force. In the constantly shifting war on terror, SEAL units - small in number, flexible, stealthy, and efficient - are more vital than ever to America's security as they take the battle to an elusive enemy around the globe. This is essential listening for anyone who wants to know what goes into the making of America's best warriors.

Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy SEAL

"Since the first navy frogmen crawled onto the beaches of Normandy, no SEAL has ever surrendered," writes Chuck Pfarrer. "No SEAL has ever been captured, and not one teammate or body has ever been left in the field. This legacy of valor is unmatched in modern warfare." Warrior Soul is a book about the warrior spirit, and it takes the listener all over the world. Former Navy SEAL Chuck Pfarrer recounts some of his most dangerous assignments.

Damn Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior

Rorke Denver trains the men who become Navy SEALs - the most creative problem solvers on the modern battlefield, ideal warriors for the kinds of wars America is fighting now. With his years of action-packed mission experience and a top training role, Lieutenant Commander Denver understands exactly how tomorrow’s soldiers are recruited, sculpted, motivated, and deployed. Now, Denver takes you inside his personal story and the fascinating, demanding SEAL training program he now oversees.

Navy SEALs: Their Untold Story

Written with the unprecedented cooperation of the Naval Special Warfare community, here is the definitive history of the U.S. Navy SEALs, a thrilling chronicle that reveals the inside story behind the greatest combat operations of our nation’s most celebrated warriors.

Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior

In combating terror, America can no longer depend on its conventional military superiority and the use of sophisticated technology. More than ever, we need men like those of the Army Special Forces---the legendary Green Berets. In Chosen Soldier, Dick Couch draws on nearly a year spent at Special Forces training facilities and offers an unprecedented view of the education of these men.

The Last Punisher: A SEAL Team Three Sniper's True Account of the Battle of Ramadi

The Last Punisher is a bold, no-holds-barred first-person account of the Iraq War. With wry humor and moving testimony, Kevin Lacz tells the story of his tour in Iraq with SEAL Team Three, the warrior elite of the navy. This legendary unit, known as The Punishers, included Chris Kyle (American Sniper), Mike Monsoor, Ryan Job, and Marc Lee. These brave men were instrumental in securing the key locations in the pivotal 2006 Battle of Ramadi, told with stunning detail in this book.

The Red Circle: My Life in the Navy SEAL Sniper Corps and How I Trained America's Deadliest Marksmen

Brandon Webb's experiences in the world's most elite sniper corps are the stuff of legend. From his grueling years of training in Naval Special Operations to his combat tours in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, The Red Circle provides a rare and riveting look at the inner workings of the U.S. military through the eyes of a covert operations specialist. Yet it is Webb's distinguished second career as a lead instructor for the shadowy "sniper cell" that makes his story so compelling.

SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper

When the Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six—a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes listeners deep inside the world of Navy SEALs and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL - the toughest and longest military training in the world.

Worth Dying For: A Navy Seal's Call to a Nation

In a fast-paced and action-packed narrative, Navy SEAL commander Rorke Denver tackles the questions that have emerged about America's past decade at war - from what makes a hero to why we fight and what it does to us. Heroes are not always the guys who jump on grenades. Sometimes, they are the snipers who decide to hold their fire, the wounded operators who find fresh ways to contribute, or the wives who keep the families together back home.

Among Heroes: A U.S. Navy SEAL's True Story of Friendship, Heroism, and the Ultimate Sacrifice

From Brandon Webb, Navy SEAL sniper and New York Times best-selling author, comes his account of the eight friends and fellow SEALs who made the ultimate sacrifice. As a Navy SEAL, Webb rose to the top of the world's most elite sniper corps, experiencing years of punishing training and combat missions from the Persian Gulf to Afghanistan. Along the way, Webb served beside, trained, and supported men he came to know not just as fellow warriors, but as friends and, eventually, as heroes.

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July, 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive. This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history.

Michael J Canning says:"Enthralling and authentic story of valor in combat"

Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger

The 75th Ranger Regiment is a unique and distinct culture among the American military establishment. They stand alone, even among our other Special Operations forces, as the most active brigade-sized force in the current Global War on Terrorism. Since 9/11, the Regiment has been the only continuously engaged unit in the Army, and has had 40 percent of its number deployed in harm's way for the last decade. Their mission is unique. Rangers do not patrol, they don't train allied forces, nor do they engage in routine counterinsurgency duties. They have a single-mission focus.

Men in Green Faces: A Novel of U.S. Navy SEALs

Gene Wentz's Men in Green Faces is the classic novel of Vietnam that inspired a generation of SEALs. Here is the story of a good soldier trained to be part of an elite team of warriors - and of the killing grounds where he was forever changed. Gene Michaels carries an M-60, 800 rounds, and a Bible. The ultimate SEAL, he also carries a murderous grudge against a bloodthirsty colonel who was once one of their own.

Trident: The Forging and Reforging of a Navy SEAL Leader

Decorated Navy SEAL Lieutenant Jason Redman served his country courageously and with distinction in Colombia, Peru, Afghanistan, and Iraq, where he commanded mobility and assault forces. But his journey was not without its supreme challenges. He was critically wounded in 2007 when he was struck by machine-gun fire at point blank range. During his intense recovery period, Redman posted a sign on his door, warning all who entered not to "feel sorry for [his] wounds."

Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan - but he was ready: In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote, "I’m not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me."

Battle Ready: Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic

As A SEAL and combat medic, Mark served his country with valorous distinction for almost 25 years and survived some of the most dangerous combat actions imaginable. From the rigors of BUD/S training to the horrors of the battlefield, Battle Ready dramatically immerses the listener in the unique life of the elite warrior-medic who advances into combat with life-saving equipment in one hand and life-taking weapons in the other. It is also an uplifting human story that reveals how a young Hispanic American bootstrapped himself out of a life that promised a dead-end future by enlisting in the military.

Navy SEAL Training Class 144: My BUD/S Journal

The United States Navy's Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training is one of the toughest military training in the world. In this behind-the-scenes account, listeners join New York Times best-selling author Stephen Templin in his journey as a trainee in Class 144.

Service: A Navy SEAL at War

Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell returned from his star-crossed mission in Afghanistan with his bones shattered and his heart broken. So many had given their lives to save him-and he would have readily done the same for them. As he recuperated, he wondered why he and others, from America's founding to today, had been willing to sacrifice everything-including themselves-for the sake of family, nation, and freedom.

Unbreakable: A Navy SEAL's Way of Life

A highly decorated Navy SEAL shares stories of his years of combat experience in Afghanistan, providing leadership insights that will shift your view of yourself and provoke life-altering change. Before leaving for combat in Afghanistan, Navy SEAL Thom Shea promised his wife that he would write to his children in case he didn't make it back. What was initially intended to be a private memoir for his family turned into a powerful set of lessons for anyone striving to perform beyond what they believe possible.

No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

The second book by former Navy SEAL Mark Owen, following his multimillion-copy classic about the bin Laden mission No Easy Day, in which he tells the stories from his career that were most personal to him and that made him the operator and the person he is today.

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

From the streets of Iraq to the mountaintops of Afghanistan and to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden's compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group - commonly known as SEAL Team Six - has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines. No Easy Day puts listeners alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the 24-man team as they train for the biggest mission of their lives.

Always Faithful, Always Forward: The Forging of a Special Operations Marine

The Marine Special Operations Command ("MARSOC") is the newest component of the military's shift toward a fully integrated Special Operations Command structure. At first, the Marines were strongly against any Marines serving under anyone other than another Marine. Then 9/11 happened. In the years following, Marine forces found themselves growing more agreeable to inter-branch operational command, finally forming the Marine Special Operations Command in 2006.

Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor

In 2009 Clinton Romesha of Red Platoon and the rest of the Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down Command Outpost Keating, the most remote and inaccessible in a string of bases built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after Keating's construction, the army was finally ready to concede what the men on the ground had known immediately: It was simply too isolated and too dangerous to defend.

Delta Force: A Memoir by the Founder of the U.S. Military's Most Secretive Special-Operations Unit

Wanted: Volunteers for Project Delta. Will guarantee you a medal. A body bag. Or both. With this call to arms, Charlie Beckwith revolutionized American armed combat. Beckwith's acclaimed memoir tells the story of Delta Force as only its maverick creator could tell it - from the bloody baptism of Vietnam to the top-secret training grounds of North Carolina to political battles in the upper levels of the Pentagon itself. This is the heart-pounding, first-person insider's view of the missions that made Delta Force legendary.

Publisher's Summary

With a postscript describing SEAL efforts in Afghanistan, The Warrior Elite takes you into the toughest, longest, and most relentless military training in the world. What does it take to become a Navy SEAL? What makes talented, intelligent young men volunteer for physical punishment, cold water, and days without sleep? In The Warrior Elite, former Navy SEAL Dick Couch documents the process that transforms young men into warriors. SEAL training is the distillation of the human spirit, a tradition-bound ordeal that seeks to find men with character, courage, and the burning desire to win at all costs, men who would rather die than quit.

Couch's look into the lives of BUDS class 228 is both informative and relevant. By following the day to day life of these Navy SEAL trainees the reader is able to not only understand what it takes it takes to become a SEAL, but also the kind of grit the person must have in order to complete training. A mixture of heart, endurance, luck and persistence is a required trait for these men, and the book displays this by describing the obstacles the trainees must face---and clear.

A lot of things have changed since when this book was written in 2003, and it is interesting to hear about men featured in this book, like Marcus Luttrell, who is now a Navy Cross recipient for his actions during Operation Freedom. While some specifics of training might have changed, the fundamentals have not.

As SEALS are becoming more and more relevant today, especially in the killing of Osama Bin Laden, this book serves as a premier source to discover the qualities of the men that wear the SEAL trident.

The SEAL selection process relies on a multitude of exhausting processes, physical and psychological. These processes are all designed to create a 'perfect storm' of value formation-- It Pays To Be A Winner. Couch leads us through these processes of 'Value Formation' as each SEAL 'wannabe' is being continually tested. There are as many 'breaking points' are there are SEAL candidates and Couch recognizes and offers respect for the honorable men pursuing the coveted SEAL Trident. The author cannot create a minute by minute physical experience of being Cold, Wet, and Sandy and convey that physicality to the reader He cannot create the impossibly bearable shivering that accompanies cold water immerision so many times in BUDs training ---and the attendant decline in the body's core temperature with the inherent compromise in physical and mental function. All of which is slowly and measureably eroding a trainee's will...to win.Couch provides as detailed an examination of the process as available. He, himself, has been through the training. He knows of what he speaks, and writes. If the reader / listener intends to explore the essence of the SEAL training process, to understand what unfolds in the day to day winnowing out of value formation; to understand a trainee must desire to WIN, at almost ANY cost in order to become a SEAL, The Warrior Elite by Dick Couch is your route to enlightenment.

I continuously listen to audiobooks, primarily non-fiction, audiobooks on my daily 1.5hr commute.
I really can't fault the writer or narrator in any fashion for this book, and frankly it has spurred me to begin redesigning my body, skills, and outlook with the Navy Seals as role models.
If you want to be better than you are, and prefer *reality* over TV/movie fiction, I recommend this book as a tourguide through the training and weeding out process of chosing that path.
Stop complaining about how hard your life is, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and make everyday life easier by a little hard training in your off hours.
I am.

Where does The Warrior Elite rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This was a good book on all aspects of Seal BUDS training. It was especially good since written by a former Navy Seal. He added a lot of insight into the whole process. Woudl recommend it to any military buffs. The book is even motivational after hearing what these guys go through on a daily basis.

Hard to say, I think the surviving members of the original class 228, especially Lt. Gallagher. All of the men in this book, from the trainees who lasted as long as they could, to the graduating class were incredible men made of tougher stuff then most of us. The SEAL instructors were also amazing. The mix of motivation and pressure is what forges these highly elite warriors.

Need inspiration? Listen to this book!

Have you listened to any of Arthur Morey’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is my first experience listening to him. I think he was chosen as he has the voice of "wise veteren", but I think they could have gotten someone with just a slight more pep in his voice. The 'Hooyahs' were a tad weak.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again, so many to choose from. The section on Hell Week stands out, as does the classes final training missions. Again, this book is loaded with inspiring moments.

I've read FEARLESS: THE ADAM BROWN STORY and LONE SURVIVOR both books goes into what happens when you show up at buds training.The Warrior Elite is a day by day account of what it takes to pass the toughest military school in the world. The great thing about the book is its written by a former NAVY SEAL "DICK COUCH" and after all these years later to see that its still the same but different. Dick knows what it will take to finish the school but he still has a heart and he wants everyone to pass, even though he knows its not possible. If you want to know what it takes to be a NAVY SEAL, this is the book... You might think twice before you join. Over 128 men started class 228 and only 20 made it...